Gangwon-do Province

Symbol

Emblem

tree

Korean Pine

bird

Red-crowned Crane

flower

Royal Azalea

History

Gangwon-do was one of the Eight Provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. The province was formed in 1395, and derived its name from the names of the principal cities of Gangneung and the provincial capital Wonju.

In 1945, Gangwon-do (along with the rest of Korea) was divided by the 38th parallel of the U.S. American and Soviet Zones of occupation in the south and north respectively, which led to Wonsan joining the province's northern half in 1946 to serve as its administrative center. In 1948, the southern half of the province became part of the new Republic of South Korea. As a result of the Korean War ceasefire in 1953, the boundary between the South and North Korean portions of the province was shifted northward to the Military Demarcation Line

Topographic Features

Most of the land in Gangwon-do (province) consists of mountainous areas. Gangwon-do is largely divided into Yeongdong on the east side of the Taebaek summit, the backbone of Korean Peninsula, and Yeongseo on the west side of the ridgeline. There are no large areas of flat lands in this province at all. Since the weather in Gangwon-do belongs to a monsoon climate zone, it is cold and largely dry during the winter times as influenced by the continental climate, while it is hot and humid with lots of rain during the summer as influenced by the oceanic climate.